brighid

Sure, I have heard that phrase and given that the Earth actually does have an end I don't see any problem with that phrase. Obviously that end is not in a linear sense but the Earth is finite and therefore, has an end. Furthermore, I don't believe that phrase is divinely inspired and deemed accurate such as the words in the Bible describing the four corners of the Earth (and the pillars holding up the firmament). The two cannot be equitably compared.

Now, if you could please demonstrate the corners that exist within a sphere I would appreciate it.

B

demoninho

It just shows the biblical expression made it to the english day to day expressions and people still use them but not in a literal sense but figurative.

Magus55

And who ever said the mention of the four corners of the Earth in the Bible is literal? That is still a terrible excuse of the Bible's fallibility and support of a flat Earth.

In Hebrew, "four corners of the Earth", means wings or ends of the Earth. And Brighid just said the Earth does have ends, therefore it isn't an error.

mark9950

The earth also has a solid sky dome that where the windows of heaven lets the water in too, right?

Tickfast

Flat Earth Bible

Scriptural Basis for a Geocentric Cosmology

EGGO

cor·ner-
n.

The position at which two lines, surfaces, or edges meet and form an angle: the four corners of a rectangle.

What are you talking about the bible goes figurative? North, South, East, and West are directions (as already pointed out).

Trust me, look anywhere and everywhere and you won't find it says those are corners. You lost that argument.

How can you also say it's a terrible excuse for support of a flat Earth? It seems great enough to people who pray to God and say that he answers back. Evidently, he doesn't correct them about this does he?

God: Yes...I shall answer your prayers. You should take door #1. Oh and uhh...just to let you know...you got a few ideas wrong in my book, the err...Earth is not...flat and...

"To the ends of the Earth", I may be incorrect, but I kind of doubt it. What Magus describes is "end". When I was a kid, I always went for the dictionary meaning (I loved that book when I was a kid)

Like "I'll follow you until the Earth ends" and then I went into it more figuratively, much like how one uses the word "soul" for romance (since this saying is obviously used for romance).

However, the Bible not only says this once, but from what I read in both secular AND christian sites, it repeats itself many times in different books and chapters. And it's generally not saying the same thing over and over again (i.e. there is no variation really of "I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth") rather, it says the same thing with different kinds of evidence stating it is flat.

Magus, I've yet to see you truly answer the four corners thing. I'll be waiting for that.

In Hebrew, "four corners of the Earth", means wings or ends of the Earth.

So now the earth has wings? No, there literally is no 'end' of the Earth unless of course you're flying off of it at a tangent to talk about it in a linear sense. What brighid may mean about the earth ending is showing how it's finite.
You don't see earth being infinate. When you see a picture of the Earth, you clearly see where it ends and space begins.

What about that dome thing I heard about? Care to clarify? Since of course I shouldn't be taking it into a literal sense, there must be some figurative meaning behind it, as does ALL errors in the Bible are.

That may sound confusing, but I'm all for clearing it up if need be.

brighid

No, I did not say it has "ENDS"(like in book ends), but rather that the Earth is finite and therefore ends.

I think the others have done a fine job with regard to the wings the Earth has, etc.

So which parts of the Bible are literal and which ones are metaphorical? Does one simply get to pick and chose? Do the ones that fit your belief system get to be literal, I mean if that is metaphorical why not the Ressurection, or anything else that is taken to be "literal"? It seems to me that Jesus wasn't literal either, but rather a fictional character used to put forth a human made message!

Is there a point in Genesis where God tells you that it is only a metaphorical story he is telling? Did I miss that?

Brighid

lpetrich

The "four corners of the Earth" are in the Book of Revelation, which was originally written in Greek, like the rest of the New Testament. Here is the appropriate verse (Rev 7:1, NIV):

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.

This seems like a rather literal use of "four corners"; there is an angel at each one who holds back a wind -- one for each angel.

Magus55

In regard to "ends", you should have clarified. We were discussing the "4 corners" so what does that have to do with the Earth being finite? The Earth may not have a linear end, as you put it, but there is a point at which the Earth and Space meet ( well i should say the atmosphere and space meet). The phrase 4 corners of the Earth is used in daily english. Does that mean anyone that uses that phrase doesn't know the Earth is round?

Now to your point of what int he Bible is figurative and whats literal. Studying the hebrew, context, culture etc. shows us. The language and culture of the Bible is studied all the time, and has been for thousands of years. Revelation for example, is one big vision. The majority of it is figurative, because it isn't a literal account of what happened. The ressurection on the other hand, is an eyewitness account of Jesus rising from the dead. It isn't intended to be figurative, its intended to be literal because thats what the Apostles saw first hand.

brighid

Perhaps you could go back and read that exchange. I did not change much of anything with further explanation. So have you been able to draw those four corners in your sphere yet?

The Earth being finite is directly relevant to it ending, and yes space beginning at a point beyond the Earth.

Certainly that phrase is used in normal English speaking conversations, but we aren't talking about day to day conversations between people such as you and I. We are talking about the Bibble and last I checked it wasn't written in English prior to what the 16th century or so ... and lpetrich quoted the bible passage that mentions it ... so let's get down to business. If God was revealing some truth about the world and it's future to the writer of Revelation why would this person (at a time when the Earth was believed to be linear and flat) chose to (or not if God is directing him) to say in a very literal sense "four corners" of the Earth (when in fact it is a sphere and has no corners)?


Well, the Gospel accounts seem to differ on many points and they weren't written by the actual Apostles, you do know that? So they aren't actually a first hand account of anything. They are alleged to be a first hand account, but given that they were written 70+ years after Jesus allegedly died, et al. it seems highly UNLIKELY that those who allegedly saw this event wrote those books, but rather they were simply replicating an oral history.

Ever play telephone? What do you think 70 + years does to a game of telephone?

What about Paul's visions of Jesus? Are visions not literal happenings? Or are they hallucinations? Should anyone base their belief systems on metaphorical, and possibly hallucinatory "visons"?

So, how about those corners on that sphere?

Brighid